How to Resolve “Operation could not be completed – Error 0x00000709” Issue in Windows 10

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Are you trying to set the default printer and suddenly get an error message “Operation cannot be completed (error 0x00000709)”?

In this case, you can’t set the default printer, but you can still print documents from Notepad or WordPad. However, you won’t be able to print documents from MS Word, Excel, or other programs that select the default printer for printing.

Whatever the error, if you can’t set the default printer, you’ve come to the right place. Before you fix the error, it’s important to briefly understand why it occurred.

What causes the error message “Operation cannot be completed – error 0x00000709” in Windows 10?

When you install a printer, you make some changes to your computer files, Windows services, registry entries, and many other settings. However, these changes can be changed when you install another printer or other printing applications. Sometimes the permissions are changed by the Windows firewall because of malware or conflicting programs, which prevents the printer from working properly.

The error “operation cannot be completed error 0x00000709” or “error 0x00000709” is usually caused by the above-mentioned random changes on your Windows computer. Whether you are trying to solve this problem with a shared network printer or a directly connected printer, the solution below will work under all conditions.

How to fix the “Failed to complete operation – error 0x00000709” problem in Windows 10?



Updated: March 2025

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Set the default printer through the “Devices and Printers” settings

  1. Go to the Control Panel by pressing Windows + S and typing “Control Panel”.
  2. Under “Hardware and Sound” select “Devices and Printers”.
  3. Find the printer driver you want to install by default.
  4. Right-click on it and select “Show Print”.
  5. In the window that appears, click the “Printers” tab.
  6. In the drop-down menu that appears, select the “Run as administrator” option.
  7. Finally, click “Set as Default Printer” on the main menu.

Change the registry settings

  1. Press Windows + R to open the “Run” dialog box.
  2. Type Regedit and press Enter to open the Windows registry window.
  3. The user access control panel will open. Click the Yes option to access the Windows registry editor.
  4. You can also press Windows + S and type Regedit in the search bar.
  5. Right-click and select “Run as administrator”.
  6. In the left window, you will see the main registry folders.
  7. Expand HKEY_CURRENT_USER, then SOFTWARE.
  8. Then go to Add/Remove Programs > Microsoft > Windows NT > Current Version > Windows.
  9. Right-click on the Windows folder and select “Permissions”.
  10. A pop-up dialog box will appear. Scroll down, find the “Administrators” option, and set the “Full Control” option.
  11. Do the same for the username you’ve logged in as and click OK.
  12. Then restart your computer.



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Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Click the Start button, type Regedit and press Enter.
  2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\NWindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Windows.
  3. Double-click Device.
  4. Right-click UserSelectDefault and select Rename to rename it to your printer name.

This error occurs when the default printer is already installed and configured, or when Windows does not want to configure a new printer at all.

When you install a printer, you make some changes to your computer files, Windows services, registry entries, and many other settings. However, these changes can be changed when you install another printer or other printing applications. Sometimes the permissions are changed by the Windows firewall because of malware or conflicting programs, which prevents the printer from working properly.